1768. then, having taken off their flockings and jackets, get into
it, and with their feet and elbows, prefs out as much of
the juice as they can: the ftalks are afterwards collected,
and being tied together with a rope, are put under a fquare
piece of wood, which is preflèd down upon them by a
lever with a flone tied to the end of it. The inhabitants
have made fo little improvement in knowlege or art, that
they have but very lately brought all the fruit of a vineyard
10 be of one fort, by engrafting their vines: there feems to
be in mind as there is in matter, a kind of vis inertie, which
refills the firft impulfe to change. He who propofes to affift
the artificer or the hufbandman by a new application of the
principles of philofophy, or the powers of mechanifm, will
find, that his having hitherto done without them, will be a>
llronger motive for continuing to do without them ftill, than,
any advantage, however mamfeft and confiderable, for
adopting the improvement. Wherever there is ignorance
there is prejudice j and the common people of all nations
are, with refpedt to improvements, like the parifh poor of
England with refpect to a maintenance, for whom the law
mull not only make a provifion, but compel them to accept
it, or elfe they will be ftill found begging in the ftreets. It
was therefore with great difficulty that the people o f Madeira
were perfuaded to engraft their vines, and fome o f them ftill
obftinately refufe to adopt the practice, though a whole vintage
is very often fpoiled by the number of bad grapes
which are mixed in the vat, and which they will not throw
out, becaufe they increafe the quantity of the wine: an
inftance of the force of habit, which is the more extraordinary,
as they have adopted the pradlice of engrafting with
refpect to their chefnut-trees an object of much lefs importance,
which, however, are thus brought to bear fooner
than they would otherwile have done.
We
We faw no wheel-carriages of any fort in the place, which J768-
, . . . September.
perhaps is not more owing to the wanfcof ingenuity to invent 1____1
them, than to the want of induftry to mend the roads, which,
at prefent, it is impoffible that any wheel-carriage fhouhl
pafs: the inhabitants have horfes and mules indeed, excellently
adapted to fuch ways; but their wine is, notwith-
ftanding, brought to town from the vineyards where it is
made, in veffels o f goat-fkins, which are carried by mcoupon
their heads. The only imitation of a carriage among:
thefe people is a board, made fomewhat hollow in the middle,
to one end of which a pole is tied, by a ftrap of whit-
leather : this wretched fledge approaches about as near to
an .Englifli cart, as an Indian canoe to a fliip’s long-boat
and even this would probably never have been thought of,.
If the Englifh, had not introduced wine veflels which are
too big to be carried by hand, and which, therefore, are
dragged about the town upon thefe machines..
One reafon, perhaps, why art and induftry have done fo
little for Madeira is, Nature’s having done fo much. The
foil is very rich, and there is fuch a difference of climate
between the plains and the hills, that there is fcarcely a
Angle objedt of luxury that grows either in Europe or the
Indies, that might not be produced here. When we went:
to vifit Dr. Heberden, who lives upon a. confiderable afcent,.
about two miles from, town, we left the thermometer at 74,,
and when we arrived at his houfe, we found it at 66. The
hills produce, almoft fpontaneoufly, walnuts, chefnuts, and«
apples in great abundance; and in the town there are many
plants which are the natives both.of the Eaft and Weft Indies,
particularly the banana, the guava, the pine-apple or
anana, and the mango, which flourilh almoft without culture.
The com of this country is o f a moft: excellent quality,
large grained and very fine, and.the ifland would produceit: